Corbin (The Theriot Family)

This time it was Lance who asked for another round.

“So which is it?” he asked. “Do you hate Beau, or do you like him?”

“I shouldn’t be saying any of this.” If I’d thought I could walk out without making a drunken fool of myself, I would have.

“It’s me,” Lance insisted. “You can tell me anything.”

“You can’t just charm information out of me. I’m not a target or an enemy or…”

“You’re my brother. I want to make sure you’re okay.”

“When you’re not mocking me or excluding me or—”

He reached across the table and took my hand. “Corbin, I know we’re hard on you, but you do know we care about you, don’t you? We’d do anything for you.”

“Then treat me like an equal.”

“Are you ready to act like one?”

I took a shaky breath. “Yes, I think I am.”

“Remington’s going to have to see that.”

So many thoughts and emotions swirled in my mind, and I was too drunk to sort through them all. “I want him.”

Lance looked confused for a moment.

“Beau. I don’t know if I like him, but I want him.”

“Why didn’t you take the car somewhere else if you hated Beau?”

“Because I didn’t know if anybody else would fix it right.”

I did not like the knowing look Lance was giving me. Tony paused in the middle of eating a cherry and chattered at me. I swear, sometimes I was sure the little monkey could follow our conversations. “He’s hot, okay?”

“He sure as hell is, but you sure complained about him a lot.”

“I complained because he… because he…”

“Because he doesn’t let you get away with shit.”

Damn, Lance really was calling me out tonight. “Yeah. That.”

“Maybe that’s exactly what you need.”

“There’s no reason for me to look for that when I’ve got you and Remy busting my ass all the time.”

Lance shook his head. “You need somebody outside the family to challenge you because, as you know, we’re ultimately going to spoil you.”

“That’s not true. Remy refuses to give me anything I want.”

Lance raised his brows and stared.

I muttered obscenities at him, then polished off the last of my drink. “Fine. Remy indulges me often enough, but not on the things that count.”

“Like driving his Ferrari and staying at his house while he’s gone?”

“I’m house-sitting.”

Lance shook his head. “We have security to do that.”

“See? That right there. You’re making it clear I’m not needed.” Oh God, why had I said that?

Lance grabbed my hand. “We do need you, Corbin.”

“No, you don’t, and neither does Beau. No way in hell is he going to want me for long. I’m too fucking annoying.” I pressed my fists to my eyes as tears threatened to fall. What was wrong with me? I was about to start crying in Archie’s bar.

I slid from the booth and stood. “I need to go home.”

“Home home or to Remy’s?”

I realized that when I said that I’d been picturing Beau’s shop. I knew he lived above it, but I had no idea what his apartment was like. Suddenly, I wanted to know that very much. Right then, I decided I was going to do what Beau asked. No matter how much I wanted—needed—to touch myself and imagine all the things he could do to me, I wasn’t going to. I was going to be good for him.

I took a step, swayed, and had to reach for the edge of the table to keep from falling.

“Sit down, Corbin.”

I shook my head, making the room spin faster. “You can’t tell me what to do.”

“You can barely stand up. Let’s settle up, and I’ll take you to my condo where I can keep an eye on you.”

Archie came over to our table. “You taking that one home?” He pointed at me.

“I sure am.”

“I’ll put the charges on your account. Take care of him, all right?”

“Why is everyone obsessed with taking care of me? You, my brothers, Beau.” It was different with Beau. He wanted to protect me, but he didn’t act like I couldn’t do anything, like I didn’t have opinions.

“Come on, Corbin.” Lance took my arm and pulled me toward the door. I nearly fell on my face, but he caught me.

When we stepped outside, I recognized one of our guards in the driver’s seat of a black SUV that was double-parked, forcing traffic to move around it. “You called for a ride?”

“Hell yes. You might not be that heavy, but I didn’t want to carry you home.”

“I can walk.” Just as I said it, I tripped again and nearly face-planted on the sidewalk. The only thing I remembered after that was Lance half carrying me into his condo and putting me to bed.

The next thing I knew, I was waking to an incredibly loud pounding sound.

Twenty-Two

Beau

“Damn,” Louis peered out toward Ambrose’s shack. “I might not have even noticed there was a structure there.”